The Deviant Vol. 1 with Keith Lehtinen
We’re back with another episode of Trade School! This time, we’re talking about The Deviant! Our host this week is Keith Lehtinen!
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Edited by Case Aiken
Scored by Bret Eagleston
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Outline
Introduction to Certain Point of View's Trade School (00:00 - 00:01)
Introduction to Certain Point of View's Trade School comic book review series and host Keith Lehtinen.
Transition from early 2000s Marvel Youth Movement comics to a different theme.
Focus on 'The Deviant' (00:01 - 02:30)
Focus on the comic book 'The Deviant' from Dark Horse Comics by James Tynan IV, with art by Joshua Hickson and lettering by Hasan Osmani Al Haou.
Description of 'The Deviant' as a Christmas-themed murder mystery infused with queer themes and social commentary on prejudice.
Plot Overview (00:02 - 00:03)
Plot overview without spoilers: Michael, the protagonist, investigates murders connected to a 1970s killer he admires; themes of queer identity, bigotry, love, and justice unfold.
Praise for the masterful mystery plotting, complex and imperfect protagonist Michael, and the unpredictable tension sustained throughout the story.
Artistic Highlights (00:04 - 00:05)
Artistic highlights including Joshua Hickson’s use of shadows, colors, and realistic character expressions, and Hasan Osmani Al Haou’s expert lettering that complements the horror tone.
Strong recommendation for 'The Deviant' to fans of murder mysteries, true crime, and nuanced queer narratives, with a warning about graphic content.
Promotion and Community Engagement (05:25 - 07:03)
Keith’s promotion of his podcast 'We Have Issues' and social media presence on Bluesky, Instagram, and Certain POV network, including an invitation to join their Discord community.
Discussion with Josue about a new weekly comic review show covering multiple publishers and brainstorming show name ideas emphasizing cleverness and pun potential.
Transcription
00:00
Welcome to Certain Point of View's Trade School, where each episode a different host talks about a comic book trade paperback that they loved and why they love it. Hello, I'm Keith Lehtinen, host of Certain POV comic book Review Show. We have issues. You've heard my voice on this project of ours several times so far, and up until now I've been exploring the early 2000s Marvel Youth Movement, but it feels like time to step away from that and handle something a little different. And to be honest, I had several books planned for this spot and started to outline what I wanted to say about each of them. But I was watching the snow fall outside and realized I was missing a pretty perfect moment to talk about this season.
00:44
So I set aside tales of hard nosed detectives and culty villages, just a few teasers, and immediately latched onto a book that I reviewed on my show. From beginning to end. It was a tale that was caked in Christmas imagery and also caked in blood. Yes, much like Die Hard is technically a Christmas movie, the Deviant from Dark Horse Comics is a Christmas comic. Just don't let your young children read it. Of course. The Deviant is written by James Tynan iv, art by Joshua Hickson, letter by Hasan Osmani Al Haou and I should note as I get started, I'm cheating a little bit. Technically, I'm going to be talking about two trades here, but as there are only a total of nine issues and I assume we're going to get a nice collector's edition of it, I'm going to count it.
01:36
The Deviant is a twisted tale of murder, of prejudice, of mystery of both justice and injustice. It manages to twist Christmas into a devastating tragedy while presenting a compelling investigation across decades. It pushes buttons, it tears at your emotions. It's a tale of victims, both fatal and not. Strangely enough, it is a love story. The Deviant is the tale of Michael, a writer obsessed with a killer from the 1970s. We get glimpses of the scenes from the past, full of shadows and violence. Michael has it in his head to find out exactly what makes this man tick and arranges a meeting with him from behind bars. At this point, it becomes clear there's something more going on here. He finds himself lost in the mystery of the killings and the truth of this man's past.
02:27
He discovers that the prisoner is queer like himself, and the bigotry that the queer community experiences takes a front row seat in theater of this narrative. Now, here's the part that is difficult for me. This is a mystery tale. So how much do I tell you of the plot? One of the main reasons to read this yourself is to explore the tale for yourself. So with that in mind, I'm going to do my best to set the table so that you can finish the meal. Michael finds himself drawn into the pursuit of seeking the truth while a new series of murders begin. Soon enough, Michael finds the mystery surrounds himself and he has little chance to escape. Eventually the investigation is taken up by others, including a sympathetic federal agent and Michael's boyfriend Derek. There, that's all the plot you get eat up.
03:17
Outside of direct plot details, I can tell you what really impresses me about these books. First of all, the mystery itself is masterfully paced and plotted. This is no surprise if you're at all familiar with James Tynan's work. Michael is a perfectly imperfect protagonist to the point that you like him but not sure you can fully trust him. The dread that hangs over the entire thing makes you believe that literally any ending is possible. Some murder tales are really engaging, but you can tell about 10 minutes in if the main characters are going to make it. Not with the deviant. I wasn't sure. It's like put the book down Alongside this is the incredible art by Joshua Hickson. He makes masterful use of shadow and darkness, splashing bits of colors in just the right location and amounts.
04:07
He creates creeping dread that I more closely associate with film and recreates it on the page. The gore is affecting but not over the top, and at the same time the characters are instantly recognizable and very human. Probably my art highlight is the character work. The facial expressions, the posture, the eye lines are all just perfectly on point. And of course the lettering on this is done by one of the best letterers in comics, Hassan Otzmani Al Haou. With a horror story, specifically one this visually dark, the letters have to be done with a deft hand to match the tone and Hasan delivered with trademark excellence of course. And yes, this is a Christmas tale. Let's just say Santa's suit is red for a reason. I cannot recommend this book enough.
04:53
If you love a murder mystery or if you're a true crime addict, it is a must buy if you want a nuanced and tragic tale of simply existing while queer, pick it up. Just don't expect Rudolph or Heat Miser to show up. And that is it for this review. I will see you guys next time. As always, you can check out my other work on my podcast. We have issues. The best place to find that is on Bluesky at We have issues Bsky Social. You can also find me on there as Keith has issues. Not used as much, but I plan to use a little bit more. And check out our Instagram, which we're just starting to use, which is we have issues pod. Hopefully I'll start using that a lot more also.
05:32
Of course you can always check me out on Certain pov, our network where this is being published. If you don't know where that is, Somehow it's@ certainpov.com and join the Discord. We have a bunch of great people on there that would love to talk to you about all the nerdy things in the world and including maybe doing an episode of this yourself. So make sure to jump in there and shoot Case Aiken a message if you're interested in that's it. Thank you so much for everything, guys. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and happy reading. All right, Josue, let's go through our new comic day stack. We have a lot to review. I know. Maybe we've gone too far. Let's see. Marvel, of course, dc. I got Image, Dark Horse, Black Mask, Boom. Idw, Aftershock, Vault, of course, Mad Cave, Ony, Valiant, Scout Mag, Behemoth.
06:27
Wow, that's a lot. Well, all we need now is a name for our show. We need a name for a show about reviewing comic books every week. Something clever, but not too clever, like a pun. It's kind of cheesy. Yeah, something that seems funny at first, but we might regret later on as an impulsive decision. A few dozen episodes in, we'll think of something. Join Keith and Osway for we have Issues, a weekly show reviewing almost every new comic released each week available on Geek Elite Media. And wherever you listen to your podcasts, Certain pov combination.